Surface Water Strategy 2009

The Surface Water Strategy contains the Council’s goals and objectives for surface water management in Christchurch.

Surface water includes all freshwater ecosystems above ground: stormwater, springs, rivers, streams, lakes, and associated wetlands. It includes natural, artificial, and ephemeral waterways, but although intricately connected, it excludes groundwater and the sea.

In Christchurch and Banks Peninsula we have extensive surface water resources which include:

Two lakes (Lake Ellesmere/Te Waihora and Lake Forsyth/Wairewa)

Over 78km of rivers (the Avon/Otakaro, Heathcote/Opawaho, Stxy/Puharakekenui, and parts of the Waimakariri and Halswell/Huritini)

Over 2,605km of streams and tributaries

Many springs

Wetlands.

The Surface Water Strategy was adopted by the Council following public consultation in 2009.

The Surface Water Strategy establishes the Council's goals and objectives for surface water management and includes an implementation programme, which sets out what the Council will do to meet the goals and objectives. The Council will:

Manage stormwater in a manner that supports the goals. Stormwater run-off is the chief driver of water quality in urban catchments, and stormwater management is crucial to reducing flood events. The Council will manage stormwater in a manner that supports the Strategy’s goals.

Develop Stormwater Management Plans (SMPs), formally called Integrated Catchment Management Plans (ICMPs). SMPs will set water quality objectives for catchments, and establish how stormwater will be managed to meet those requirements.

Review development standards and the existing Council planning framework. The Council will review the City Plan, District Plan, and other Council planning documents, and consider changes to meet the goals and objectives identified.

Minimise sources of pollutants. Minimising the sources of pollutants will be crucial to improving the water quality of Christchurch’s surface water resources. The Council will focus on improving its own practices, leading by example.

Implement a co-ordinated community education and engagement programme. Community understanding of surface water management – the issues, costs, benefits, and what individuals can do – is essential to achieving the goals and objectives of the Strategy. The Council will work with Environment Canterbury to engage with and raise awareness amongst the community about surface water.